Rocca Flea

Descripción

Does not matter from which direction you arrive to Gualdo Tadino because it is impossible not to notice the castle Rocca Flea erected to protect the town.

According to ancient documents, during the X century, the castle Rocca Flea alrteady existed and belonged to the possessions of the counts of Nocera. However, before the castle, in this place there was probably the curch of Sant'Angelo de Flea as testified by two discoveries in 1995 during restoration works. In 1177 it was owned by emperor Federico Barbarossa. One has to go up to XIII century, to wait for the highest splendour of the castle, when Wald was visted by Federico II di Svevia which stayed there for long time It is during that time, that town walls fortified by 17 towers were erected.

And the castle kept since that moment the same style and shape which were the symbols of power of the families leading in Gualdo Tadino. In 1499 all the region around Gualdo Tadino and with that Rocca Flea too, was attributed from thethe pope Alessandro VI to the famous daugther Lucrezia Borgia. In 1513 and for other 80 years Rocca Fleawill be the seat of the papal Legazione Cardinalizia Autonoma which will hold the power of the town, giving as a feedback, during the renaissance, a period of incredible splendour. The first and mybe most famous Cardinal Legato was Antonio Ciocchi di Monte San Savino, and during his administration it was realized the new acqueduct which was also passing by Rocca Flea . After that the castle reamained pratically unchanged and between 1860 and 1985, it was a jail of the new Republic of Italy.